


Storms in teacups

by ISOSISO151



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 11:22:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6004083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ISOSISO151/pseuds/ISOSISO151
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU - set after Gordon's trial where Aaron and Robert are together.</p><p>An argument in the pub between Aaron and Robert causes various characters to think about their relationship.</p><p>Bit of plot, mostly drabble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Storms in teacups

“You don’t even know you’re lying anymore.” Aaron shouted as he stormed from the back into the bar.

“I’m not lying.” Robert protested following close on his heels.

“It’s written all over your face.” Aaron swung around and pointed an accusing finger at Robert’s chest.

“Aaron.” Robert sighed.

“You don’t want to admit it, fine. But don’t you dare even think about dragging me into it.”

“There’s nothing…”

“I saw you so don’t bother.”

“Aaron listen to me.”

“I’m going back to work.” He stormed out of the pub leaving Robert to roll his head back then follow Aaron out.

“What’s that round fifty?” Kerry asked breaking the silence.

“I don’t bother counting anymore.” Chas replies.

“Should I pull Sugden?” Cain asked looking to his sister.

“Seriously not worth it right now, if they haven’t made up by five then maybe.”

“I don’t get it.” Kerry states. “After everything, all the stuff that’s gone on, they finally get together properly and all they do is fight.”

“Not all the time.” Victoria says heading towards the kitchen. “I think they only fight to do the making up.”

“Thanks for that Vic.” Chas grimaced. 

“Aaron may be you’re son but Robert’s my brother so it’s about equal on the things that you shouldn’t think about.”

“I wish Robert would stop winding him up.” Paddy sighed. 

It had taken him a few days to accept the inevitable when Robert had started proving himself to everyone including Aaron. He knew they were going to end up together. Aaron loved Robert, he knew that. Aaron fell in love harder than anyone he had ever met. Once his heart was set on someone and there was no amount of logic that could get in its way.  
He knows that Aaron had been angry at the lodge, too angry to see that Robert really couldn’t ever bring himself to kill him. That everything was falling apart around Robert, by his own doing, everything was on the line but still he couldn’t kill Aaron.

He wishes to God that Aaron could find himself someone where that situation wouldn’t even be a possibility, but then it would be easy and Aaron didn’t seem to like anything easy.  
Aaron didn’t want nice or simple even though it would probably do him the world of good. He knows that someone nice, truly genuinely nice wouldn’t put up with or be able to deal with Aaron.  
He loves Aaron but he knows more than anyone how difficult he can be, how sometimes he needs to be forced back onto the straight and narrow and that it is no easy task. It takes a pig-headedness to hold firm and Robert had plenty of that. It needed a real determination that he also knew Robert had in spades.

He finally realised that Robert was done messing Aaron around and was in it for the long haul during Gordon’s trial.

Aaron was due to give his evidence and the look of desperation to be anywhere but there was plain to see. Aaron was about a minute from flying apart at the seams, he had taken a step towards him but Robert had beaten him to it. Leaned against the wall next to Aaron, pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and a lighter, a habit that Aaron had picked back up again during the run in to court date and asked if Aaron wanted some air. He had watched them go, holding back Chas from following.

It had taken a while but when Aaron came back in with Robert following him, he had looked calmer, stronger and finally ready to go and give his evidence.  
He knew then that Robert was the right one now the lying and hiding was out of the way, that Aaron’s heart, as it usually was, had been right to pick him and that whatever he thought about Robert, he was the one that could stand by him through thick and thin.

“They’re both guilty. Could make it into a profession.” Dan piped up.

Chas sighed and tried not to worry. She had tried worrying. She had tried listening. She had tried shouting. She had tried everything to keep them apart. Robert wasn’t good enough for Aaron, he had proved himself as not being as bad as she had thought but in terms of the happy, healthy relationship she wanted Aaron to be in, a quiet gentle love that would allow Aaron to get over his past and bring him to his full potential… What he had with Robert… It was passionate, no doubt. And she could accept that they loved each other but it was volatile, almost violent in its power. It was a good job they did love each other or they would destroy themselves. 

She sometimes wishes Robert would do just that but having seen on so many occasions, especially during Gordon’s trial how Robert had held Aaron together, forced Aaron out of his own head so many times that she knows that she can’t have what she wants without destroying her own son as well and she could never do that.

They’re both stubborn as granite, Aaron’s worse, she’s aware of that. Robert usually comes around to his way, eventually or he gets forgiven again that’s eventually, never immediately and Robert can get Aaron to back down and change his mind when he sets his mind to it. As long as it's nothing too bad she can appreciate that.

She did worry that Aaron was being taken in by Robert but she has learnt that Aaron can see straight through Robert, when no one else can, he can and that eases her a little. Aaron isn’t naïve about Robert and that was her fear, that he was being taken advantage of and maybe he had been first time round. Heart ruling head. 

Now she knows better and she also knows to never ever get involved in their fights. The number of times the pair of them had turned on her, shot her down then turned back on each other she knows now to just let them get on, sometimes she can’t stop herself but it’s usually more effective to be there for Aaron when it’s a really bad one and generally not get involved any more than that.

They have a fight and she goes after Robert, Aaron stops speaking to her. 

Although she’s been forced to swallow a lot of bile that she would love to spit at Robert, she knows that Aaron more than holds his own.

And she knows it they are both as bad as each other for starting fights. It’s almost as if they enjoy it in some perverse way. Some of them have been spectacular in their shear ferocity but so far they’ve always managed to get back to their version of an even keel.

Aaron is happier with Robert than without so she keeps reminding herself when she nearly bites clean through her tongue when Aaron and Robert are at odds and her son is upset.

“Jesus, I need a pint.” Adam sighs as he comes to lean against the bar an hour later. 

"Babe what’s wrong?” Victoria asks, although she has an idea.

“It's like world war three up at the yard.” He replies. “My head’s done in just listening to them.”

“Do you know what its about?” 

“Honestly I don’t think they even know. I just left them to it.”

Victoria nods, probably for the best although she wishes they would stop it. The number of times she had to deal with a grumpy or upset or grumpy and upset Robert because he had fallen out with Aaron was getting beyond a joke. They just couldn’t seem to help themselves. 

She loved Aaron as Adam’s best mate and a good friend but Robert was her brother and sometimes seeing how much Robert hurt when he thought she wasn’t there to see it shook her to the core. That he can’t quite manage to get his mask down when Aaron’s involved.

Andy didn’t think that Robert had feelings, that he was heartless but she knows that’s not true despite the fact that he tries to hide it, she knows that he cares, that he loves and that he hurts just as much as everyone else. 

Robert still treats her as his baby sister, as if she’s innocent but she knows that Robert has done some awful things and that he can be a real bastard when he wants, she’s grown up but Robert wasn’t there to see it so he seems to forget. She sees how much he loves Aaron and she knows how vulnerable that makes him and how much he hates feeling weak in the face of anything. 

It had worried her sick the first few months when Aaron was still getting over his Dad being sent down that they weren’t going to make it to actually getting together however much she wanted that for Robert, she had seen how much he loved Aaron. It seemed like they just couldn’t get past their history.

Robert even told her once, when he had had far too much to drink and Aaron had gone away for a couple of days with his little sister that he didn’t think that he could live without Aaron anymore and that he’d never really understood what love was before meeting him. He had been off his face drunk, it was the most honest she had seen in… ever.

Aaron she knows is as resilient as anyone, to go through everything that she’s seen him go through and still be standing was proof if it was ever needed that he was the strongest person she had ever met, she didn’t want her brother to be the one that broke him, she doesn’t think she could forgive Robert for that.

She worried that Robert would do something to wreck his own happiness. He was more at peace than she had ever seen him when he was around Aaron. She saw bits of his personality that she hadn’t seen before and she was grateful because she felt closer to Robert than ever before. But Robert had a habit of wrecking things and she worried that Aaron wouldn’t forgive him for something and the old Robert would be back.

She has always loved her brother, she’d like to think it’s unconditionally but she can admit to herself that she likes him more now than when they were younger.

“I think I’m going to reinforce the ‘no Robert at the yard unless for business’ rule again.” Adam takes a deep drink of his pint. “Not that it ever works.”

Adam’s long since given up on trying to work out what Aaron sees in Robert. He knows there’s more than meets the eye because sometimes Robert actually acts like he has a heart, a decent bloke under a shit tonne of bullshit and he knows it’s especially clear when it comes to his best mate but that doesn’t mean that he’ll ever like him.

He doesn’t want to be friends with Robert, he doesn’t like him and he knows Aaron could do so much better for himself but as long as Aaron’s happy then he could go out with whoever he likes because he’s his mate and they’ve been through so much together, they’ve been mates through their good and bad relationships, stood by each other even when they didn’t agree with who the other was seeing... He just wishes Aaron hadn’t fallen so hard for his dick of a brother-in-law.

They’re weird together, a combustible combination that should be a complete disaster but Aaron’s generally more chilled out and stable and Robert’s still a raging dick to everyone other than Aaron, and he supposes Victoria as long as it remains that way he’ll have to put up with him.

An hour later and Aaron comes into the bar making a bee line for Charity who is sitting with Cain, Moira, Noah and Moses.

“I want a word with you.” He says to Charity who frowns at him. “I think you know what about.”

“What’s this?” Cain asks looking between the two.

“Just need to set this mad cow straight.”

“Hoy not in front of the kids.” Charity scolds.

“Like you care.” Aaron says then walks through to the back not looking to see if she’s following.

Cain stares a Charity who plasters an innocent look that he doesn’t believe on her face. Five minutes later she arrives back looking slightly flustered.

“Everything ok?”

“Yep, no trouble.”

“There better not be.”

“Just Aaron being Aaron.” She smiles.

“I doubt that.” Moira mutters.

Just as they’re preparing to go home Robert walks in and asks Marlon for a pint. 

“Aaron’s through the back.” Marlon states as he hands over the glass.

“Well he does live here Genius.” Robert snaps and busies himself with his phone.

“I’ll just be a second.” Charity says to Moira as she hands over a squirming Moses.

As soon as Cain sees Charity heading towards Robert he hangs back with a nod to Moira. Now he thinks he knows what caused Aaron and Robert to fall out he just needs confirmation before stepping in.

“I thought I told you to keep your mouth shut.” She growls at him. “Aaron nearly took my head off.”

“You wouldn’t be the first today.” He sighs.

“You’re out of the deal then.”

“No, I’m still in.” Robert replies.

“Really?”

Robert nods.

“Your boyfriend made it sound…”

“I know a good opportunity when I see it and Aaron will come round.”

“Good. I’ll call you tomorrow.” 

Robert nods and takes a mouthful of his pint watching as she leaves.

Cain shakes his head. Sometimes he could happily bang both Aaron and Roberts heads together when they argue but today it seems as though he just needs to bang Robert’s head into something hard. These are the days he prefers.

He had learnt a long time ago that when it came to Robert, Aaron wasn’t to be messed with. He’d seen it before with Jackson, Paddy, Adam, Chas, and even himself... When his nephew loves someone he’ll do anything for them and anything to protect them.

It’s a kind of selflessness that is alien to him. He can be selfless when he needs to be but he’s not like Aaron, he doesn’t know anyone that is. Aaron doesn’t stop when self-preservation should kick in and make him think twice, no Aaron just keeps going.

Aaron falls in love hard and he had fallen for Sugden. He had seen it even when the affair was still under wraps. 

He hadn’t been able to see it then but Sugden for all his faults, failings and shortcomings loved Aaron, he proved that later.

He didn’t think Sugden was worthy of Aaron but then he doesn’t think anyone would ever be good enough for Aaron, but it’s not up to him and Aaron can make up his own mind.

Cain just doesn’t ever want to see Aaron get hurt and that means that sometimes he needs to step in. Carefully. Aaron’s can look after himself and he doesn’t want to step on his toes but when he knows something could hurt Aaron he takes exception, he owes him that. 

“Do not get involved with Charity.” 

“I’ve got no idea what you’re…”

“Don’t play dumb.” Cain warns. “I take it that Aaron worked out what you were planning and he flipped his lid. Not without good reason.”

“It’s a good deal.”

“That’s where you’re wrong because if Charity is involved, any deal is only going to end up with her on top. She will chew you up and spit you out.”

“That’s what Aaron said but…”

“No but’s. He’s right.”

“I can handle Charity.” Robert states.

“And that right there is what I was talking about this morning.” Aaron says shocking them both as he emerges from the backroom into the bar. “She’s mental and you want to... You know what I told you, you still want to try and prove you can get one over on her or whatever ego trip you’re doing, fine but like I’ve said I’m not bailing you out.”

Cain knows without a doubt that Aaron will bail Sugden out, no question.

“You won’t need to.” Robert states.

“I give up.” Aaron storms back out of sight.

“That lad is trying to keep you out of trouble and he knows more about Charity than you do. He’s also been through enough. You want to risk losing him then you’re more stupid than I thought.”

“I’m not going to lose him.” Cain sees that he’s rattled him though, used a fear he knows that he has against him. No one wants to lose someone they love.

“You sure about that? Charity has a habit of throwing people under buses and I really wouldn’t care except that if you end up dead or in prison it’ll brake his heart and I won’t let you do that to him.”

“How are you going to stop me?”

Cain grabs Robert by the arm and drags him through into the back throwing him down on the sofa and nodding to Aaron who’s leaning against the kitchen worktop with his head dropped onto his arms.

“The only reason I haven’t knocked you flat on your arse is standing right there. He tells me to and I’ll take great pleasure in…”

“Cain.” Aaron sighs turning to face them and shaking his head. 

“I’ll sort her out.” Cain promises. He’ll make sure Charity knows that she’s not to make any deals or even approach Sugden again.

Aaron nods and smiles a little before glaring at Robert. Cain leans in closer to Robert.

“He loves you and you should know how lucky that makes you, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you, Charity gets you into trouble and Aaron will get dragged in whatever he says.” Cain leans in closer and drops his voice to a whisper. “And if he gets hurt you know you won’t forgive yourself.” Cain straightens up, he knows Robert wouldn’t forgive himself, Aaron’s the best thing to ever happen to him. “Think on that… He’s all yours.” Cain nods to Aaron then step out of the room. He waits because it always pays to wait and find out if he does need to knock sense into someone and he wants to make sure that Aaron is alright.

“Aaron…”

“I’m tired Rob... You want to do it fine but just don’t say I didn’t tell you.”

“Repeatedly.” Cain almost hears the eye roll from Robert and almost goes back into the room. “But I know why… You asked me not to and Cain will likely kill me if I dare so fine. I’ll pull out.”

“Can’t you see that…”

“Aaron I said I won’t do it.”

“I know but…”

“I promise. Hand on heart.”

“I don’t want you getting in bother.”

“Aaron… I’ve said I won’t do it.”

“Yeah but…”

“I swear to you.”

There’s a pause and Cain’s pretty sure that Aaron’s working out if he believes Sugden.

“Good… So how was your day?”

“Amazing I spent the entire day with the man I love as he shouted the odds at me.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“But you love me anyway.”

“Lucky for you.”

“I know exactly how lucky I am, just need reminding sometimes.”

“Because you’re an idiot.”

“I think we’ve established that.”

“Hungry?” Aaron asks.

“Didn’t have time for lunch and come to think of it neither did you… Raid on Marlon’s fridge?”

“There’s a fridge right here.”

“Yeah but that one doesn’t have chocolate fudge cake.”

“You’re teeth are going to rot, then I’ll have to dump you because I’m not going out with a bloke with no teeth.”

“Could have its advantages though.”

Aaron snorts a laugh and Cain steps away.

“Have they made up?” Chas asks leaning against the cellar door.

“Getting there.”

“Good.”

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing for this pairing. Hopefully it's alright.


End file.
